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Clothes That Get Better With Age

The fashion trends of 2014 have altered so drastically from the previous year. In 2013, we were enamoured with tartan print (with good reason since it looks gorgeous on practically everyone), pleated skirts and hats of all different shapes and colours; my personal favourites being the beanie and the fedora.

With it already being September and the autumn equinox descending closer with every passing day, its time for a much-needed wardrobe revamp. But (and I can’t stress this enough) you don’t need to go out and buy an entirely new collection of seasonal clothes. It’s unnecessary, impractical and way too expensive.

I’ll let you in on a little secret, although I’m positive that my close friends and family already know this. I’m an incessant hoarder of clothes, shoes, jewellery, makeup, you name it, and normally I’m deeply embarrassed of this quirk of mine. My style is constantly changing but I rarely throw things away. Today however, I’m going to put my hoarding ways to good use, and hopefully I can show you how to do the same.

There are some things that get better with age and some things that don’t. Wine, self-confidence, art, and Will Smith, they all belong to the former, and that list can go on endlessly. Some things need the help of time to look at their best and, knowing that fashion ALWAYS comes back around, be sure to keep these things in your wardrobes (or dig them out) for a quick fashion fix.

LEATHER

This had to be the first on this list because we all know that leather wears better than anything over time. It gets soft, doesn’t tear or puncture easily and wrinkles in all of the right places. By this, I mean real, unapologetic leather, not the faux stuff that you can get for a low price. There’s a time and a place for that but it deteriorates over time and that’s not what you want. I love adding a touch of grungy rock to a floral dress with a worn-in leather jacket. It looks edgy, especially when paired with some chic boots.

Leather Jacket

BRASS JEWELLERY

Brass is a material that when it is new, it looks shiny and polished and can give gold a run for its money. However, when it has aged a bit, it goes quite dark and dull. This might be the effect that you want for your brass accessories as it can give an amazing antique-look, something that adds a lot of character to your overall style. If that’s the case, leave it for a while and perhaps only clean it once with mild soap and water. Then it’s good to go! But if you want to get it back to its original (shiny and gold-like) state, just give it a gentle clean until it has been restored to its former glory. Either way, you can keep brass jewellery for years.

Brass headband

DENIM

I’m sure that by 2014, everyone owns at least 2 items of clothing that incorporate denim fabric in some way. Whether that’s a pair of jeans, a denim jacket or a cute denim bow (inspired by Minnie Mouse, they’re so easy to make!). Personally, I love denim and all that it stands for; casual chic, which is a very effortless style. The best part about this is that denim gets softer and more comfortable, the longer you own it. Why do you think its so hard to part ways with your pair of boyfriend jeans?

Rihanna sporting an all-denim look

Obviously, if you already have these things then you don’t need to do anything but to get them out of storage and impress your friends. But if you don’t hoard, my tip for shopping for clothing that gets better with age is to invest! The things I’ve mentioned above wouldn’t be half as great if they weren’t made of good quality fabric. So don’t bother trying to do this with Primark’s best and instead, opt for something a bit more high-end. You’ll easily get your money’s worth with some top quality Levi’s jeans.